While the figures may sound alarming, the rising volume of DDoS attacks is hardly surprising given the proliferation of cheap and easy-to-launch attack tools. Today’s DDoS attacks are almost unrecognizable from the attacks of old. Once the preserve of bad actors coding in their bedrooms to carry out protests and cause mischief, DDoS attacks have now evolved into a cheap method of attack that just about anyone can launch for just a few dozen dollars a month.

It’s crucial to understand the reasons behind the steady growth of DDoS attacks, what makes the UK disposed to such attacks, and how users can stay protected.

Early Warning Signs

Last week’s news mirrored an announcement by the City of London Police in May this year, which warned of a new wave of ransom-driven DDoS attacks orchestrated by Lizard Squad, in which UK businesses were told that they would be hit with a DDoS attack if they refused to pay a ransom. In addition, a recent survey by Corero Network Security revealed that 80 percent of European IT security professionals expect their business to be threatened with DDoS ransom attacks during the next 12 months.

But why is the UK such a target? The motivations for DDoS attacks are endless, from financial and political reasons to extortion and everything in between. Among the possible implications – depending on the scale of the attack or whether it has been used as additional element to a wider breach – are data theft, revenue loss and reputation damage. Considering the size of the UK’s digital economy, and London’s status as a financial center of Europe, it’s not surprising that attackers have put the UK in their crosshairs.

What Can UK Organizations Do to Protect Themselves?

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Stephanie Weagle brings over 13 years of marketing and communications experience to Corero Network Security. As Vice President of Marketing for the Corero DDoS protection solutions, Stephanie strives to accelerate market penetration of the award winning Corero real-time DDoS mitigation product portfolio. Stephanie has been instrumental in establishing Corero as a category creator for automatic, scalable DDoS protection that is architected to meet the needs of any Internet dependent organization, including, mid-tier hosting and service providers, on-line gaming entities, tier-1 carriers and large online enterprises.